The councillor for culture, Elena Serrallé, has launched the first conference of the series ‘Albacete through its urbanism’, organised in celebration of the City Day. She stated, “Understanding how Albacete has developed helps us better appreciate the city we live in and the heritage we have received.”
The session, held at the Unicaja auditorium, featured Elvira Valero de la Rosa, the director of the Provincial Historical Archive. During her presentation, Serrallé highlighted the city council's commitment to promoting research and disseminating local history, noting, “We have a responsibility to care for our heritage and ensure that residents are aware of it.”
She explained that the commemoration of Albacete's 651 years of shared history provides an opportunity to engage citizens with the city’s transformations. Serrallé expressed gratitude to Unicaja for its support in hosting the series and acknowledged Elvira Valero's dedication to local historical studies and her ability to share that knowledge.
The conference, titled ‘From chaotic village to the 1861 plan: how modern Albacete was born’, explored the urban evolution of Albacete, tracing its development from a village to the structured city we see today. The session offered insights into the city’s past through its urban planning, inviting attendees to understand current streets and spaces as products of historical evolution. This aligns with the series' goal of facilitating knowledge about Albacete and its development.
Serrallé praised Elvira Valero's extensive qualifications, including a degree in Hispanic Philology, expertise in Archival Science, and a master's in Humanities, Culture and Society Research. Valero is the author of ‘Urbanism in Albacete during the Late Middle Ages’ and has a significant body of research and publications in journals such as Albasit and Anaquel, as well as contributions to collective works and studies on various aspects of Albacete's history.
The councillor also acknowledged Valero's efforts to promote the resources of the Provincial Historical Archive through exhibitions, cultural activities, and her blog and YouTube channel, ‘History and Heritage of the Province of Albacete’, stating, “Your work ensures that this heritage reaches citizens and becomes part of Albacete's cultural life.”
The series will continue on 19 November with a conference by Rafael Vargas Lozano titled ‘Albacete: from the projected city to the lived city’. The final session will take place on 26 November, featuring a round table discussion entitled ‘Albacete in debate: from the historical plan to the city of tomorrow’, with participants Carmen García Martínez, Jacinto González Gómez, and Esteban Belmonte Martínez, moderated by Almudena Blaya Pascual. All sessions will be held at 18:00 in the Unicaja auditorium, located on Calle San José de Calasanz.
